Posts tagged Pro Football

ESPN Analyst Matt Williamson Part II

ESPN Analyst Matt Williamson discusses his ascent from watching film for a high school recruiting firm in exchange for lunch to working for the Cleveland Browns as an NFL scout. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard http://www.flickr.com/photos/coast_guard/5435865047/sizes/l/in/photostream/

ESPN analyst Matt Williamson is a former NFL scout for the Cleveland Browns. He agreed to talk about a variety of topics in a three-part interview at The Rookie Scouting Portfolio. In Part I, Williamson discusses an emerging NFL offensive trend with personnel and then explains the difference between scouting for a football team and a media conglomerate. In this post, Williamson tells the story of his ascent to football’s biggest stage despite never playing the game.

Waldman: Tell me about your football background.

Williamson: I never put pads on in my life. I came from a rather nonathletic family. I played baseball and basketball like every kid, but I was never picked for an all-star game. I was never the first kid picked for a team. I am slow. But the love for football was always there.

When I was six years old and we would go on vacation I got preview guides and just read them the whole time. That’s all I cared about. I was a huge Steelers fan growing up here in Pittsburgh, and obviously football is “sort of big” in this town. I’m sure that had something to do with it.

Waldman: How did you get into scouting?

Williamson: I went to school at Pitt at Johnstown. Throughout college my neighbor owned a swimming pool servicing company. It was a really small organization all based on service. Every summer I would  come home and work for him. Over those five summers I gained more and more responsibility and eventually I was running my own crew at the end.

I was a creative writing major. When I graduated, my grades weren’t great and I didn’t have a great direction. I didn’t know what I was going to do. So I bought the swimming pool company. The owner was an older guy and I got a great price on it. I was my own boss when I was 22 years old and I had an employee or two. It made money and allowed me to do whatever I wanted during the winters. Continue reading

Emerging NFL Talents: WR “Big” Mike Williams

Seahawks receiver Mike Williams emerged in 2010, showing the talent that once made him an elite prospect. Photo by camplommer http://www.flickr.com/photos/44836202@N02/

Although my takes on the players in the next series of posts might be useful to fantasy owners, this isn’t a fantasy football article. I’m not projecting stats. I’m writing about talented players whose portfolio of work reveals techniques and behaviors that I think translate well to the NFL game. At the end of the year, you might look at the stats and conclude that the quantity of the production wasn’t eye-catching for each of these emerging talents. However, I believe their work will be impressive enough for opposing teams, fans, and more astute fantasy owners to take future notice.

Mike Williams technically “emerged” last year when he finally arrived at an NFL facility in football shape. He ascended from camp long shot to starting receiver and in 13 starts he accumulated 68 receptions, 751 yards, and 2 scores.  Not bad for a guy who hadn’t played competitive football for two seasons.

Fortunately, Williams’ offseason workout regimen demonstrates that he has figured out what it takes to become a professional football player. At age 27, Williams could produce at a high level for another 7-8 years if he maintains this new-found work ethic. Considering the Seahawks lacked a quality veteran receiver with a strong, multifaceted game to start opposite Williams in 2010, I believe last year was a promising sign for things to come. Continue reading

ESPN Analyst Matt Williamson Part I

ESPN analyst Matt Williamson joined Matt Waldman to talk football. Williamson, a former college director and NFL scout, shares his story and perspective on the game in this multi-part conversation. Photo by Jayel Aheram

ESPN analyst Matt Williamson is a former NFL scout for the Cleveland Browns. He agreed to talk about a variety of topics in a three-part interview at The Rookie Scouting Portfolio. In this post, Williamson discusses an emerging NFL offensive trend with personnel and then explains the difference between scouting for a football team and a media conglomerate.

Waldman: What is a positional trend in the NFL that you believe is really making a league-wide impact?

Williamson: One thing that I think is really becoming more prevalent and I think that we’ll continue to see much more of it is hybrid offensive players. People that come to mind are Aaron Hernandez, Dallas Clark, Reggie Bush, and Percy Harvin. Now Harvin doesn’t count as much as those others, but the rest of those guys are all in really good offenses with smart quarterbacks – which is absolutely a necessity.

The problem they present to defenses is how do you count them? If you are a defensive coordinator and Reggie Bush is on the field with a fullback, a tight end, and two wide outs are you going to call Bush a running back and just play a base defense against him? Okay, that’s cool… Continue reading

Emerging NFL Talents: RB James Starks

What most people don't think about with James Starks is that he hadn't played football for nearly two seasons. Photo by tyle_r http://www.flickr.com/people/tyle_r

Although my takes on the players in the next series of posts might be useful to fantasy owners, these aren’t fantasy football articles. I’m not projecting stats. I’m writing about talented players whose portfolio of work reveals techniques and behaviors that I think translate well to the NFL game. At the end of the year, you might look at the stats and conclude that the quantity of the production wasn’t eye-catching for each of these emerging talents. However, I believe their work will be impressive enough for opposing teams, fans, and more astute fantasy owners to take future notice.

Let’s play a game.

Below are the career stats of every starting running back (not counting short-term subs) for the Green Bay Packers since former running back coach Edgar Bennett was himself a Packers running back.  Look at the stats of these four runners and see if you can find a broad pattern when it comes to the team’s organizational decision-making. Continue reading

Emerging NFL Talents: RB Ryan Mathews

Despite an injury-plagued rookie year, Ryan Mathews led the NFL in rushing touchdowns greater than five yards. Photo by Garrett Johnson.

Although my takes on the players in the next series of posts might be useful to fantasy owners, this isn’t a fantasy football article. I’m not projecting stats. I’m writing about talented players whose portfolio of work reveals techniques and behaviors that I think translate well to the NFL game. At the end of the year, you might look at the stats and conclude that the quantity of the production wasn’t eye-catching for each of these emerging talents. However, I believe their work will be impressive enough for opposing teams, fans, and more astute fantasy owners to take future notice.

Unlike Eric Decker and John Beck, Ryan Mathews’ 2011 breakout potential is a no-brainer. If not for a high ankle sprain in Week 2, Chargers head coach Norv Turner foresaw a 250-carry, 40-catch rookie year from the heralded Fresno State prospect. Last year, Mike Tolbert did a fine job splitting the load with Mathews as the lead back. But for those people who believe Tolbert will be a hindrance to Mathews’ production, consider the skills both runners bring to the team. Continue reading

Emerging NFL Talents: QB John Beck

Mike Shanahan thought John Beck was the best quarterback in a draft class that included JaMarcus Russell, Kevin Kolb, Brady Quinn, Troy Smith, and Trent Edwards. Hardly a great group in hindsight, but you could say the same about Tom Brady's class with one noted exception, Brady's fellow sixth-round classmate. Photo by simplistic.designs http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplistic-designs/

Although my takes on the players in the next series of posts might be useful to fantasy owners, this isn’t a fantasy football article. I’m not projecting stats. I’m writing about talented players whose portfolio of work reveals techniques and behaviors that I think translate well to the NFL game. At the end of the year, you might look at the stats and conclude that the quantity of the production wasn’t eye-catching for each of these emerging talents. However, I believe their work will be impressive enough for opposing teams, fans, and more astute fantasy owners to take future notice.

Prologue

Once upon a time there was a Division I college quarterback. He had the minimum physical dimensions for NFL consideration, but he wasn’t an athletic phenomenon. The school he played for was a major program, but it was not a known commodity for quarterbacks. The lack of these quality bullet points on this player’s resume contributed to a lower draft stock. A noted exception were those who study film closely. These tape grinders saw a quarterback with an exceptionally quick release, good accuracy, and solid decision-making. Some of these analysts, (specifically this one) rated this quarterback among the top 3-4 in this class.

It didn’t make much of a difference. The quarterback was a sixth-round pick for a team that needed a better passer. But as with most sixth-round picks, that quarterback was waived.  The team didn’t regarded him as a player to develop. While this is speculation on my part, said player likely didn’t receive enough reps to even make an impression. Six years later, the team that cut our hero made a trade for a signal caller who turned this franchise around – much in part to a new head coach who I think might have taken a greater interest in our hero if the timing were right. But reality dictated that for the next five years this team would falter in large part to inconsistent quarterbacking. Continue reading

Emerging NFL Talents: WR Eric Decker

Eric Decker's rookie total was the grand sum of 6-107-1, but he's an emerging talent to remember. Photo by Jeffrey Beall http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey/5300408094/

Although my takes on the players in the next series of posts might be useful to fantasy owners, this isn’t a fantasy football article. I’m not projecting stats. I’m writing about talented players whose portfolio of work reveal techniques and behaviors that I think translate well to the NFL game. At the end of the year, you might look at the stat-lines and conclude that the quantity of the production wasn’t eye-catching for each of these emerging talents, but the quality of work they did was impressive enough for opposing teams, fans, and more astute fantasy owners to take notice.

WR Eric Decker, Denver Broncos

One of my favorite receivers from the 2010 draft class, Decker’s game is well-suited to the NFL because he consistently demonstrated skills at the University of Minnesota that are commonplace requirements for a successful NFL receiver. What you’re going to see repeatedly from Decker in this highlight package is the following:

  • Good initial set up of breaks
  • Defeating press with use of hands and shoulders
  • Winning real estate early in the route
  • Maintaining real estate later in the route
  • Receptions after contact
  • A “my ball mentality”
  • Functional strength
  • Functional speed

Most people during the 2010 NFL Draft were enamored with Decker’s classmate DeMaryius Thomas. Personally, I have always thought Decker was the better player. Continue reading

Execution

Tony Gonzalez has enjoyed a long and productive career because as his athleticism has declined he still executes strong technique. Photo by Chemisti http://www.flickr.com/photos/chemisti/457300762/

While researching YouTube highlights for my last blog post, I came across a series of short videos on fundamentals for wide receiver and tight end. One set of these videos features former Packers, Chiefs, and Vikings tight end Paul Coffman, who does a fantastic job of demonstrating fundamental techniques for blocking, releases, routes, and pass catching. The other set has current NFL pros demonstrating the same fundamentals.

The difference between the two is that Coffman’s videos feature middle school and high school students executing these techniques. This may seem boring in contrast to the NFL stars, but there’s something to be gained from watching both, which is the vast difference in execution.  This seems obvious, but it is vitally important when evaluating players. Coffman’s kids are still learning these techniques while the pros make everything look easy and effortless. 

But “simple” and “easy” aren’t synonymous without years of practice. This is something to remember every time you watch a college athlete or young NFL player. Those prospects who make fundamentals look easy closer to becoming refined pros than those who are simply athletes with raw positional skills.  Continue reading

YouTube Chalkboard: Three `90s RBs to Learn From

Marshall Faulk perhaps had the best run of production of any back at the turn of the millennium.

Walking into the lobby of the Pro Football Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago, the banner of 2011 inductee Marshall Faulk got me thinking about the runners who came into the league in the mid-to-late `90s.

Runners who had hall of fame ability but aren’t likely to be first-ballot inductees, if enshrined at all. Backs with specific skill sets worth filing in your mental Rolodex and using to compare to college prospects. Here are three I would recommend watching because I believe in their prime they all had complete games in terms of interior/outside running, big play burst, good feet, excellent after contact skills, and strong third down techniques as pass protectors and receivers.

Priest Holmes, Jamal Anderson, and Terrell Davis certainly are worth mentioning but I have a feeling at least two of those three backs will find their way to Canton before at least two of the three backs below. The point of this post is to think about what factors contribute to a starting-caliber NFL runner. It is the technique and conceptual skills behind vision (decision-making, patience, etc.) that earns a runner with the minimal required athleticism a chance see the field. It is the athleticism, consistent health, and great supporting cast that can make a good NFL runner great. Today we’re removing some of the icing to look at the cake.

Eddie George

Many people only think of Eddie George as an upright runner behind a huge Titans offensive line that allowed him to bully defenders into submission as a part of Tennessee’s conservative game plan.  Because he only had two seasons out of nine with a four-yard-per-carry average, George’s Hall of Fame bid will probably need a Floyd Little-like supporter to earn serious consideration.

However, watch this vid and take note of some skills that I think could be the model for any aspiring power runner:

  • Always talked about as an upright runner, watch this compilation and you’re going to see his body lean is consistently at a terrific angle to get yards after contact in every situation except when no defender is within five yards of him. Although Ray Lewis heaped praise on Texans runner Arian Foster with a stylistic comparison to Roger Craig, Foster’s pad level and smooth gait that belies his height reminded me of George since the Texas a junior at Tennessee.
  • Note the way he dips his shoulders into contact or greets a defender with a forearm or stiff arm punch.
  • As with any great power runner, he sets up angles with good footwork. George frequently uses a stutter step or fake to ruin a defender’s direct angle and then exploit that off-balance player by running through the less optimal angle of contact that results from George’s quick footwork.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/sK3c4GzN4pE]

Eddie George lost a lot of his change of direction due to a toe injury that occurred in the middle of his career, but prior to that injury he had big-play ability on an offense that lacked a true threat in vertical passing game and allowed defenses to stack the box to make the run its primary focus.

Edgerrin James

I believe Edgerrin James had the talent to make a run at Emmitt Smith’s record if not for the ACL tear in the third year of his career that took away some of his explosion as a cutter and most of his big-play ability. Including Marshall Faulk, I think James was the best all around back to enter pro football in the past 15 years – edging (no pun intended) Terrell Davis for that honor.

The clip below is the only one on the Internet that I could find with pre-injury footage of James. What you should carefully watch is his footwork to change direction in tight spaces and bursts without losing his balance. In contrast to a back like Eddie George, who had good feet to make a defender miss, he still often tripped over his own shoes as he pulled away from that first opponent. A pre-injury Edgerrin James is a different story.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/nkhWSNoxAHE]

James’ ability to keep his pads down hill after changing direction allowed him to run through the grasp of defenders and turn normal gains into bigger players. Another thing is the sharpness of these jump cuts, which make my ACLs ache just watching them (and my ACLs are healthy). James had it all: power, lateral agility, speed, and a complete set of third-down skills. Even during the post-injury phase of James’ career where he didn’t have many big runs but he frequently turned three-yard gains into 5-6 yard plays, I believe his skill at finishing runs – especially his pad level – is the model to judge other backs.

Fred Taylor

Taylor was known as one of the most physically talented backs in the NFL due to his height-weight-speed-agility numbers. And as many of these highlights display his mind-blowing athleticism, there is a lot more to his game.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/vzHsINdS9w0]

Note the pad level Taylor has just as he engages an opponent. Like Eddie George, Taylor’s body lean is the difference maker when he engages contact. And as Chad Spann mentioned during our film breakdown, a running back who keeps his head up as he runs through contact has a better chance of maintaining his balance. Fred Taylor shows this numerous times in these highlights. Another technique on display in Taylor’s game is how effective he is at turning his pads downhill or towards an opponent just after he changes direction. This helps him lead with his pads and sometimes take away a defender’s angle on him.

A good example is a cutback at the line of scrimmage on with 1:02 in this highlight against the Carolina Panthers. Taylor makes two defenders coming from the outside miss, but his training to get his pads downhill help him run through a blow from the defensive tackle coming from the inside. Quickness and agility got Taylor to the line of scrimmage on this run and his burst got him a first down. However, it was the pad level that got him into positive yardage territory.

Two highlights later, Taylor bounces a run outside against the Colts after he gets through the line of scrimmage and with Bob Sanders coming fast, the Jaguars RB still manages to turn his pads downhill as he’s curling outside. This helps him run through Sanders’ hit for extra yardage.

Technique. Technique. Technique.


Grinding Tape: Chad Spann – Stiff arms and Green Dogs

[youtube=http://youtu.be/j8QX4ylcekk]

NIU RB Chad Spann led the NCAA Divison I-A with 22 rushing touchdowns in 2010. That’s one more than LaMichael James and two more than Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton.

Recently, I had the chance to watch tape with the 2010 MAC MVP. This week we discuss two plays where there are problems with the execution, but the end results are positive due to quick -thinking from Spann and the offense.

As Spann breaks down these plays we learn about the art of a good stiff arm, why balance has as much to do with a runner’s head as his feet, and the meaning behind the term, “green-dogging.”

2nd and 5  1:00 1st QTR

Waldman: This zone-read from a three-receiver set has some confusion between you and the QB with the exchange. Describe what’s difficult about this exchange.

Spann: Like I said before about zone-reads, if the backside defensive end we’re reading shuffles down the line of scrimmage, it means he’s playing me and not the quarterback. So the quarterback should pull it.

Zone-read 2nd and 5 1:04 1st QTR

Spann: On this particular play what I see is the backside tackle getting up to the second level and he’s almost in the way of the defensive end trying to get there. You can see the defensive end trying to push him because the tackle is in the way. This is also what our quarterback sees.

Blocking scheme for zone-read: Note backside tackle getting to second level and RDE working off him.

Spann: So he can’t really tell whether the guy is up the field or if he’s coming down the line of scrimmage. So the quarterback holds onto it a little too long in his read and he tries to pull it late.

Position of DE working off backside tackle (RT) creating confusion for QB & RB with the exchange.

Waldman: What are you thinking on this play?

Spann: I’m thinking the same way that he is – that I’m going to hit it right inside the backside tackle and guard because the tackle has beaten the guy inside. So that’s what I’m thinking as well, but the quarterback sees it too late and tries to pull the ball. But I already have my arms wrapped around it and I’m trying to make this cut. So by accident, and with a little bit of athleticism, he pulls me back outside.

Waldman: You know, I didn’t even notice that on this play. I just saw what appeared to be a miscommunication with who was going to take the ball. On first blush, it appears as if you’re trying to back up after you plant your feet, but you’re saying that he gives you a tug in the other direction?

Spann: He has his hands wrapped around the ball and I have my arms wrapped around his arms. So by him trying to pull his hands out or pull the ball out, he’s going to naturally try to tug on me, which is why my shoulders turn like that. And that gave me the ability to see the hole and the backside defensive end [who came down the line too far, which allowed me to] make this cut.

QB pulls RB just enough before exchange is complete to orient RB's path to defeat DE.

If [the quarterback] just gave it to me I would have kept going down that same path and I would have gotten hit by that defensive end. But since there was a little bit of a miscue, he was able to point me in the right direction. It gave me the ability to stop, start, and get a stiff arm on that defensive tackle and get six yards.

Spann and defender's paths after exchange.

Waldman: What I really like about your run is how you lower your shoulder into the oncoming defensive lineman who is cutting back towards you and then the stiff arm to knock the defender to the ground as you turn the corner at the line of scrimmage for what becomes a six-yard gain. The balance is really nice considering that you told me earlier that you got hurt on the play before…

Spann cuts inside LB in flat to turn corner for six yards.
Spann dragged down by WILL and MIKE LBs at end of six-yard gain.

Spann: Yep. On the first down play, which was a zone-read corner blitz, they jumped off sides. I got a hip pointer on that play [Author’s note: Spann was hit helmet-first onto his right side by the blitzing corner] but I stayed in after that. It really hurt, but I played the whole game. I sat out a little bit of this series because of it.

Waldman: That explains the broadcast crew showing you on the bike…As a spectator, you know something is wrong with a player when the team is blowing out the opposition and I still see him riding a bike to stay loose at the end of the game.

Spann:(Laughing) Oh yeah, the whole game…

Waldman:  Now back to this play, tell me more about that stiff arm. When you execute a stiff arm where are you trying to place it?

Spann: The facemask. Right in the face! It sounds cocky, but that’s where I aim for it. I’m not the biggest guy and I don’t have the longest arms, but like I mentioned in our Q&A about running between the tackles, is that you have to keep your pad level low and the most important thing is that you have to keep your head up because wherever your head is your body will follow. If I’m trying to run over somebody and my head’s down I might run through him but I’m going to go down, too.

Waldman: That explains a lot about balance and why it is a difference between big backs that don’t break tackles and smaller backs that do.

Spann: It’s the same thing in a situation with a stiff arm. If I can push your head back that means I’m going to push your arms up, too. And if I can push your arms up it means you’re not going to be able to get a grip on me.

So you’ll see when I get a guy right in his face then his hands will go straight up in the air and then I’ll try throw him to the ground because when the head comes back I try to throw him because they are going to go down regardless and I’m trying to get as far away from him as possible. So usually I’ll stiff-arm him all the way to the ground to make sure that they can never get a grip on me.

Spann: If you watch the defensive end you’ll see him jerk a little bit when I throw him down. That’s the whole point – I’m trying to snap his head back.

Waldman: So is there a difference between how a smaller back uses a stiff arm compared to a bigger back?

Spann: Bigger guys use stiff arms to keep a defender away from them. Their arms are long enough to hit them with a stiff arm and they can’t get a hold of him because they can’t make up the distance of the arm length.

[As a smaller back] I don’t have that luxury. So I have to invite them in so I can punch them in the face. It’s violent I know, but I have to do it almost as hard as I can so he’ll lose his body control for a second while I’m still running in the same direction. I have to throw them down because if I don’t they’ll be able to recover and still grab onto me as they are going down.

[Author’s note: Here are some classic examples of stiff arms]

[youtube=http://youtu.be/imAZrOkDDp4]

2nd and 9 5:49 2nd and QTR

Waldman: This is a touchdown pass where you are pass blocking from the backfield. Toledo runs a stunt where the LDE loops behind the NT towards the gap that you’re in and both LBs blitz.

The MLB takes off immediately up the middle but the LB on your side of the formation delays his just enough that you’re already looking at the stunting DE and miss the LB coming through the gap behind you. Nevertheless, the QB gets the throw off for a score.

Who was your first choice to block on this play and why?

Spann: I remember reading your question yesterday and then breaking this play down to one of my roommates. This is a “50” front. We have a noseguard and we have a guard uncovered and we have a stand up defensive end on our left side.

Four-receiver (3x1) set vs. 50 front (DE on viewer's right side is standing up).

Waldman: So what is the pass protection scheme for this front?

Spann: What we do [to block this play] is that we have a man side and a zone side. Wherever the A-Gap player is the quarterback is going to get to the line and he’s going to say something to point out that player’s direction.

If the A-gap player is to the right, the quarterback is going to say, “Rip, rip, rip, 88.” That’s our cadence. The “88” doesn’t mean much, but the “rip” means that the A-gap player is to the right and that is going to be our man side. If he were to the left, the quarterback would say, “Liz 88, liz 88.”

With this slide protection if it’s a “Rip Call,” the left side is going to be center, guard, and tackle while the right side is going to be guard, me (RB), and then tackle.

In this particular formation against this defensive front, which we call a “50,”  the quarterback is going to keep [the protection call in a way] so I don’t have to travel very far. It just makes sense to keep me here rather than go all the way to the backside to go get this standup defensive end.

Because he calls a rip, the left tackle is going to kick to the stand up defensive end. The left guard should kick to the five-technique. The center is going to take the nose, but he still us going to have to slide left. If that nose comes right, then it’s the guard.

LT, LG, C, and RG slide to left in this blocking scheme. Spann takes first LB blitzing through. RT takes DE (five-technique).

But because the nose is inside of the guard, the guard is going to step down with the center so at the snap of the ball you’re going to see four guys move to the left – the left tackle all the way to the right guard are all going to slide to the left.

If that nose guard stays to the left side of the center, the center is going to stay with him and the guard is going to come back and look for anything to the right. The right tackle is going to kick to the five-technique on the other side. My responsibility is whichever one of those linebackers blitz on my side. That’s me.

Waldman: So the front dictates the blocking scheme. How would a different front change your assignment?

Spann: If it were more of an even front, and say the middle linebacker was on my side and the WILL was still on that side, too, then it is whoever comes first is my guy. Or say they zone blitz off the edge, then whoever comes first is my guy and will have somebody else pick them up.

On this particular play they are running Cover-0 and they are blitzing the middle linebacker and they are stunting the defensive end.

This [stunt] isn’t picked up correctly, which is why your question was kind of confusing with what you saw.

[Author’s note: I saw a delayed blitz with one of the linebackers, but Spann corrects me in the explanation below]

That delayed linebacker blitz that you see, we wouldn’t look at it as a delayed blitz, but to the naked eye or someone not really paying attention…I mean someone who wouldn’t really know…

Waldman: That’s okay, don’t worry about it…(laughter)

Spann: (laughter) Sorry about that.

Waldman: it’s okay, I’m here to learn.

Spann: Okay. So No.32 (the OLB in the diagram) who “delay blitzed,” is actually in man coverage on me. He’s following me. So wherever I go, that’s where he’s going. And when he sees me step up to block. He does what we call “green dogging.”

Five-Technique next to standup DE stunts toward RG (on viewer's left); MLB blitzes to RG and Spann expects to pick this up. OLB in man coverage with Spann opts to Green Dog since Spann's blocking alleviates OLB of an assignment.

He sees that I’m blocking and since he has no other responsibility besides me, he comes and triggers for a blitz. That’s normally what delayed blitzes are. It’s where a defender sees an opportunity because his only responsibility isn’t a factor, so he just comes and puts pressure on the quarterback.

Waldman: So how does this Green Dog play out paired with the stunt?

Spann: [This is how] this stunt should be blocked from left to right:

  • The tackle should still kick out to that stand up guy.
  • The guard should kick out to the five-technique.
  • The center and guard block down like I said [before].
  • Whoever blitzes I got in that gap.
  • The tackle’s got that other five-technique.

When the left guard sees his guy cross his face on that stunt, he should turn his eyes and look back.

Waldman: But that doesn’t happen…

Spann: He was the youngest guy on our offensive line – a sophomore in his first year starting – so we had a little bit of inexperience. In fact, the only person who was a full-time starter [last year] was the left tackle. Everybody else was new – everybody else was a red-shirt junior on the line except for him; he’s a sophomore and he was a little bit inexperienced.

So when he saw his guy cross his face like that on the stunt he should immediately stop, turn, and help the center because the noseguard is coming back that way. Then the center should be able to pass that noesguard off to the guard as he picks up the looper [the stunting DE].

How pass protection should have been executed: LT kicks to stand up DE; LG sees DT stunting so he double teams NG withe the C; the C comes off double-team to block the stunting DT; the RG picks up blitzing LB; RB helps with blitzing RB or first LB through the hole; and RT picks up DE across from him.

Now the center never got off the nose to pick up the looper [stunting DE]. So the guard who was supposed to pick up the looper couldn’t because the blitz was in his face and he doesn’t know who is coming into his gap and he has to protect his gap…

Waldman: …It’s a domino effect in this sense with what happens with the left guard.

Spann: Yep. So the left guard doesn’t pick up and then the center can’t get off [the noseguard/A-Gap] to get the looper. Now the tackle sees the looper coming because he’s looking at the noseguard, but he’s looking through the noseguard to see the looper coming and he’s not seeing the linebacker blitzing, who should be his responsibility.

He ends up picking up the linebacker, but he looks at the looper for too long. And I’m looking at the looper because I should be helping out there because he’s unblocked. And when I reach in to help out there, my linebacker green dogs. So when he green dogs, and I finally see it, I turn and give him a shoulder and the ball is out [of the QB’s hands].

Waldman:There really are a lot of contingencies that an offensive player has to know in order to pass protect. It’s a nice play (a deep seam route from the slot for a 33-yard touchdown) considering what happened and you give your quarterback just enough time to get rid of the ball and make an accurate throw. Thanks for the explanation because I see the stunt, but I couldn’t tell whether that was a delayed blitz. Now that makes total sense. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Spann: No problem.